Multi-Genre Author

I finally found a book that has a name I absolutely love! When searching for my next thriller novel to read, I came across this one. Not only was the name awesome, but the storyline wasn’t bad! Before going into too many details, as in usual fashion, I’ll give you basic details of the book first. Here it is…

Ash – A Thriller (Asher Benson Book 1)

By: Jason Brant

9 AM EST: A senator shoots himself on national television.

10:32 AM EST: An entire floor of government agents leap to their death from their office building.

12:57 PM EST: All the police officers inside a station murder each other.

And the day has just begun.

Lieutenant Asher Benson left Iraq with a traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and a Purple Heart. His doctors warned that the symptoms would be life altering. They had no idea. As his body healed, the thoughts of those around him began to echo through Ash’s mind, stretching the boundaries of his sanity.

Five years later, Ash is drowning the voices with copious amounts of booze and self-loathing.

When unidentified intelligence agents abduct him in broad daylight, Ash is thrust into a world of espionage and assassinations. A unique terrorist is operating on U.S. soil, and the government needs Ash, and the malady that has plagued him for half a decade, to find the killer.

*Ash is the first book in the Asher Benson thriller series, which is full of snarky humor and nonstop action.

Non-stop action is right! From scene one to the end, the main character, Asher Benson, is constantly on the move, for good and not so good reasons. And speaking of Asher Benson, those who know me know I love the name Asher. That is the name we gave our second son after all! It was truly neat to read a novel with an awesome name like that.

I have to say the humor was great. It’s not for everyone, though! But I found it comparable to Adam Sandler, which I like. Not all of it is clean so be careful on that!

Overall, I thought the book was well-written. The descriptions were great, the storyline flowed smoothly, and the whole premise is fascinating. We’re talking telepathy and using ‘the force’! Star Wars fans may like that. Pretty fancy! The novel takes place in and around Washington, D.C., which is a city I’ve come to really love, so that was another plus.

This was a novel I really enjoyed. For all the reasons above, I have rated it five stars. Though this is the first book I’ve read from Jason Brant, it probably won’t be the last. A job well done, Mr. Brant!

I’m in the process of writing my first thriller novel, which I’m totally excited about. To do so, I want to prepare myself the best way possible. How do I do that? By reading thriller novels, of course! My sister recommended one, and upon reading the book’s blurb, I was hooked, and wanted to get my hands on a copy pronto. Thank goodness for libraries! (I say that because a book by a best-selling author costs more than I’m willing to spend right now.)

Let me first share with you a little bit about the book, including the cover and blurb, and then I’ll go into what my thoughts are.

Velocity

By Dean Koontz

If you don’t take this note to the police . . . I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher. . . . If you do . . . I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have six hours to decide. The choice is yours.

The typewritten note under his windshield seems like just a sick joke. But in less than twenty-four hours, Billy Wiles, an ordinary, hardworking guy, is about to see his life take on the speed of a nightmare. Because a young blond schoolteacher is murdered—and now Billy has another note. And another deadline. This time he knows it’s no joke. He’s racing a killer faster than evil itself. And Billy must accept his terrifying challenge: The choice is yours.

Think fast. Fear never slows down. . . .

Sound goods, right? It did to me! And after reading it, I thought that it was amazing. That’s why I rated it four stars! Let me elaborate.

Dean Koontz did a wonderful job describing the story. There was never a dull moment. I thought it all came together rather nicely. Throughout, I was left wondering who could be the culprit. I also think that the whole premise is crazy! With these hard choices, there’s no way I could make a decision. What a creative thinker Mr. Koontz is. I applaud him for that.

If I liked it so much, why just four stars? Why not a perfect five? There are three reasons why I took this book off from the perfect throne:

Some descriptions were too many, in my opinion. I thought there was information we just didn’t need.

I felt the ending was too easy. Once we figure out things and the victim works his way to victory, it all just goes too quickly. There was barely a fight.

I also didn’t like how the character was too “at ease” with everything. There is no way a person, going through what this character did, would handle it the way he did.

But overall, I liked the book. I’m glad my sister recommended it. I would recommend it as well. To warn you, though, it isn’t clean. But that shouldn’t really come as a surprise, seeing as it’s Dean Koontz and all.

Here is the link to the book’s Amazon page for you to check it out some more:

For those who may not know, novella means short novel. In other words, this is not a full-length novel. That doesn’t mean it won’t pack a good punch, though! With around 26,000 words, this makes the perfect book to read for those short on time. And with a lot of storyline and plot twists, it’s perfect for those still wanting depth. Plus, you can’t beat FREE!

Before going into my review, let me share with you the book’s blurb:

Matthew Stanyer fears the worst when he reports his parents missing. His father, Joseph Stanyer, has been struggling to cope with his wife Evie, whose dementia is rapidly worsening. When their bodies are found close to Blackwater Lake, a local beauty spot, the inquest rules the deaths as a murder-suicide. A conclusion that’s supported by the note Joseph leaves for his son.

Grief-stricken, Matthew begins to clear his parents’ house of decades of compulsive hoarding, only to discover the dark enigmas hidden within its walls. Ones that lead Matthew to ask: why did his father choose Blackwater Lake to end his life? What other secrets do its waters conceal?

In my opinion, this was a very intriguing psychological suspense. It held my attention from the first page through to the end. The characters and scenes were well-written, and the storyline was amazing! What I think I loved most about this short book is that there were a few twists and turns that I didn’t expect! And on top of that, the author did a fabulous job piecing all loose ends together towards the end without giving away too much information throughout the middle.

There were two things that I didn’t like. The first thing was that one of the twists the author wove into this novella was not something I appreciated. It was an interesting take on what the author was trying to get across, but it wasn’t something I enjoyed. I will not share what it is because I don’t want to spoil anything for potential readers, but let’s just say it’s an iffy topic. The book as a whole isn’t clean, either, so tread lightly.

The second thing was that some of the scenes were not needed. They don’t throw you off, it’s just they really didn’t need to be added. And some of those moments were a tiny confusing so I had to reread some parts just to be sure I knew what was being said.

Overall, I really liked the novella. I like psychological storylines, and this one fit the mold quite well. Because of the couple issues, I am only rating this one four stars!

Sacred Marriage happens to be one of the titles of a book by Gary Thomas. For those who do not know who Gary Thomas is, he is a bestselling author and international speaker whose ministry focuses on bringing people closer to Christ and closer to one another. In this book, Sacred Marriage, the general idea is to get closer to your spouse by becoming more like Christ.

I have to admit that I would not have read something like this on my own. I am not a huge fan of self-help or non-fiction in general. Yes, this coming from someone who is working on her first non-fiction piece, lol. It’s not like I don’t get much out of them or don’t like them, it’s just that I’d rather be reading a fictional piece that transports me to someone else’s world.

Anyway, back to why I said all of that. Though I wouldn’t have chosen to read something like this on my own, I did end up reading it because of a men’s group my husband is a part of. One of the homework assignments was for him to read Sacred Marriage, as well as for me, too. Then a little while ago we had a meeting where all of us, husbands and wives, discussed it.

Faith Blum has a new book! She wrote, edited, and published a short story in just three short days and you can now get it for free! Read on to learn more about it.

About the Book

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

No longer could I say I was lonely. But oh, how I wish I could! Who could have done such a thing to the Creator of the world? Who had so much hatred for Him?

Available for free on all eBook vendors: http://books2read.com/christ-arose

About the Author

Faith Blum is a 20-something author of multiple books in various genres. She loves to write, read, play piano, knit, crochet, sew, watch movies, and play games with her family. She lives in Wisconsin with her family on a small family farm where they raise goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and have 2 dogs and a varying number of cats.

Faith’s goal in her writing is to encourage Christians in their walk with Christ. If you enjoyed this book, go to her website to sign up for her Monthly Newsletter so you can get an email with fun facts, giveaways, and so much more every month. You will also find links to her other Social Media sites on her website. She loves to hear from her readers so feel free to contact her.

Giveaway

Faith is offering a really neat giveaway for this tour. The ParLaGrace etsy seller has an April special right now for a really beautifully made block that says ‘He Lives’. Isn’t it pretty? You can enter the giveaway here:a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt

As the day slowly drags on, more men approach. Are they here to lend aid or to harm the body of my Creator? Oh, Creator! Give me a way to defend Your Son’s body if need be!

The Jewish guards come near and take some wax and put a Roman seal on the stone. Doubly safe. No one could take my Creator’s body without facing whatever penalty the Roman’s gave. I should never have doubted You, Creator and Provider!

Two of the guards stay behind and stand on either side of the rock. As the day creeps by again, every few hours, new guards replace the ones already there.

Emme is a sophomore in high school who starts dating, Brendon Agretti, the popular senior who happens to be a senator’s son and well-known for his good looks. Emme feels out of her comfort zone in Brendon’s world and it doesn’t help that his picture perfect ex, Lauren seems determined to get back into his life along with every other girl who wants to be the future Mrs. Agretti. Emme is already conflicted due to the fact her last boyfriend cheated on her and her whole world is off kilter with her family issues. Life suddenly seems easier keeping Brendon away and relying on her crystals and horoscopes to guide her. Emme soon starts to realize she needs to focus less on the stars and more on her senses. Can Emme get over her insecurities and make her relationship work? Life sure is complicated when you’re dating the it guy.

“By the way, did you hear Lauren got into Senator Agretti’s old school?”

“Seriously? I wonder if she applied there because Brendon did,” I said.

Margaux snorted. “Duh, of course. Seriously, she might as well just pee on him to mark her territory.”

“Margaux, shut up,” Kylie said.

“Whatever. Anyway, the important thing is if Brendon knew she was applying there,” Margaux said. “Em, do you think he knew?”

I hoped Lauren was just trying to follow Brendon, but what if they had planned this whole thing while they were dating? What if he convinced her to apply there so they could go to college together, wear matching American flag sweaters with big scarves while drinking hot chocolate, and jump into leaf piles just like a preppy clothing catalog. At least now I didn’t have to worry about them reciting poetry to one another in South Bend, but still, what if they had made plans to go to school together?

Everyone has their secrets and Tayte, Agnes, and Noah are no exception. In Agnes’s home, though, those secrets—or dragons—might just tear them all apart. Part of the Kindle Scout competition, The Dragons of Alsace Farm, was hot and trending for four weeks before its launch. Find out why during this blog tour!

About the Book

In need of his own redemption, Noah Carter finally confronts his childhood hero, the once-beloved uncle who betrayed him. Instead of vengeance, he offers forgiveness, also granting Uncle John a most curious request—for Noah to work on the ramshackle farm of Agnes Deveraux Keller, a French WWII survivor with dementia.

Despite all Agnes has lost, she still has much to teach Noah. But the pair’s unique friendship is threatened when Tayte, Agnes’s estranged granddaughter, arrives to claim a woman whose circumstances and abilities are far different from those of the grandmother she once knew. Continue reading “Dragons, Anyone?”→

Imagine with me a city. You’re almost there. It’s a city you’ve always wanted to go to. The [enter your favorite mode of transportation] is creeping ever closer. Then it stops. Almost there, but not quite. Laurel Garver is with us today to talk about her book, Almost There. Let’s see how many times we can use the title in different contexts.

To celebrate the release of book 2 in The Secret Keeper series, In the Dying Light, by Angela Carling, we are going to have some fun! In fact, at every stop in her blog tour, you’ll have a chance to enter to win her first two books and she’ll be talking about different people in history that really could have used a secret keeper.

Who comes to your mind first? Don’t tell me yet. First, Angela is going to give you the skinny on Secret Keepers:

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